During the 1860s otto von bismarck played a key role in the unification of germany, transforming it from several dozen independent kingdoms, duchies, and principalities into a unified nation. which statement best explains bismarck's methods for uniting the parts of germany? a) bismarck fought against authoritarian rulers and used his tremendous popularity among the german people to unify the people behind him. b) like other european leaders, bismarck actively sought to gain a colonial empire in asia and africa that would raise nationalistic pride. c) bismarck used a series of wars and political incidents to raise nationalistic feelings and install political leaders he could manipulate. d) bismarck followed economic policies that increased trade between the german states so that business leaders backed his efforts at unification.